Watch Me Burn
by blackrosesavior
Summary: After finally getting the message that Elena doesn't love him, Damon happens upon a girl that'll spin his world upside down... The only thing is - she's not the normal 21 year old girl they all think she is. Damon/OC A blend of both the tv show and books.
1. Chapter 1

_**Just to let you guys know - Every person's PoV will **not** be labeled... I will only make it distinguishable on when it is another PoV, but, I repeat, I will **not** label them... You're big kids... I have faith that you guys will figure it out... xD**_

Ch. 1

"You _made_ it!" Stefan said surprised as he got up from the booth.

He had already been sitting down at a table. From his earlier sitting hunched form, I'd bet he'd been sitting here for awhile - especially since Aunt Jenna made me help her clean out the garage for like half an hour. Meaning I was already thirty minutes late. He helped me into the booth, and then sat down opposite of me.

"Of _course_ I did," I replied to his prior comment, "You got my text, _right_?" He smiled remembering the text message.

_**gonna be late. helping jenna clean out garage. stay there. get us a table. don't worry. be there soon. luv u**_

"_Yes_, I did," he answered. The waiter came around and asked for what I wanted to drink.

"A Diet Coke and a water, please," I told him.

He left, and Stefan asked, "So how was cleaning out the garage?"

I sighed and replied, "It _sucked_. It was hot and..." Coming up with a blank, I finished by saying, "Well, _hot_..."

He laughed and I took a drink of my Diet Coke that the waiter had just set down.

"Thank you," I said.

"You're _quite_ welcome," the waiter replied with a supposedly "secret" wink.

He walked away, and I stared dumbfounded at Stefan. To which he stared back as stunned as I was. We immediately started laughing, and I almost choked on my water as I took a sip in between laughter.

"You okay?" Stefan asked - to which we started laughing all over again.


	2. Chapter 2

Ch. 2

I watched pitifully as Elena and Stefan enjoyed a meal at a booth a fair distance from myself. They laughed so naturally... Like... _Like two love birds_, I thought. I had to admit it. I was done playing games like "Let's Steal Elena" or "Make Elena Love You". Both games had utterly failed, and here I was, standing here like a pathetic, heartbroken, masochistic stalker._ I should leave_, I thought again. But instead, I stayed put. I couldn't take my eyes off Elena. My supposed-to-be princess of darkness who absolutely loathed me. She brushed her fair, golden hair out of her lovely, pale, heart-shaped face. I concentrated on her features - ignoring everybody else including the person standing awkwardly still next to me. I stared intensely at her flawlessly carved lips. So lush and pink. I wanted so badly to feel them against mine. _But I never will. Because she's_ his.

I turned to look at my brother, Stefan. I most likely loathed Stefan as _much_ as Elena hated me. All self-righteous with his knight in shining armor garbage nonsense. I couldn't understand how _everyone_ loved my brother _more_ than me. He was always the _favorite_. The loving, caring, sensitive guy... While I was the "narcissistic, imprudent, heartless brother". And the _best_ part was that everyone hated me because he _told_ them to. Because he shoved his own thoughts about me down everyone's throat - making sure to convince them that it's their true _one and only_ opinion about me. And even better, I never got a chance to speak for myself because he _always_ met them first.

_If only I could meet someone first_, I thought,_ Maybe_ then _I'll finally have someone who'll truly love me._

But the only person I loved _completely_ hated me. Not only _that_ but she also completely loved my _brother_. I sighed in frustration.

_Maybe_, I thought once again, _Just maybe..._

_*** Sorry for the shortness! Don't worry, by like Ch. 5, they start getting **really** long... xD And next chapter you get to meet the "so-not-normal 21 year old" girl Damon falls in love with... Ooooo... Suspense! ; ) ***_


	3. Chapter 3

Ch. 3

I suddenly blinked to find myself awkwardly standing with two drinks in my hand. Wait. _Two?_ I had only wanted to order one. I looked around to see where I was. I sighed in relief when I realized I was still at the bar and grill. I looked to my right to see a handsome, yet sexy guy with black hair. He had a very seductive, slim, muscular body type. He seemed dark and mysterious, but his physical appearance contrasted this greatly for he had quite a pale skin tone and seemed to lean against the booth dividers quite effortless and painlessly.

I took one step closer to the small wall to get a better view of his face. It was as if I had stepped into another dimension and was staring at an angel. His face was composed so smooth, no emotion showing. Yet at that same moment I saw pain and suffering, anger and disgust, and forlorn hope in his deep, eternal, black eyes. This angel was in _pure_ psychological torture. I yearned to touch his perfectly planed face... To make him look at me. To tell him everything was alright. That I was here for him.

But then I remembered. I was holding what looked like two whiskeys. _Why in the world would I even_ get _whiskey_, I thought, _I didn't even_ drink_ it_._ In fact, I never _have _drank it._

As I looked down at the two whiskeys wondering when and why I ordered them, I felt someone staring at me intensely.

_*** Ooooo... Who is this mysterious girl? Coming up.. Ch. 4... Dun-dun DUN! ; ) ***_


	4. Chapter 4

Ch. 4

A motion out of the corner of my left eye pulled me out of my thoughts. I turned my head only to see a girl with loose brown curls looking down at two drinks that both appeared to be whiskey. She wore a pink, low, v-neck shirt with a slim pair of dark-colored blue jeans that hugged around her slender figure quite comfortably, yet in a most enticing manner. If I focused in on it, I could hear her pulse. Her heart beating...

She looked up and I stared into the most beautiful blue-gray eyes. I froze as I realized what I just thought. Elena was the one with the most beautiful eyes. Yet here was the perfect counter-example to prove me absolutely wrong. I tried to read her thoughts but came up blank. When I tried again, at first it was the same, but then I _felt_ something. She was in complete shock. But deeper than that was a vast, infinite amount of yearning. I instantly recognized what the yearning was. It was _love_.

I forced myself out of her head, only to find out that the feeling stayed with me. What in the world was going on with me? I wasn't in _love_ with this small, fragile human. _Was_ I? No. I was being desperate. _Yes._ I was desperate and heartbroken. That's all.

But no matter what I thought the feeling never left.

Instead of thinking anymore about it, I smirked and said, "Whiskey? For _me_?"

She quickly glanced down and looked back up at me. She blinked and seemed to break out of her trance.

"Uh..." she suddenly smiled and then said, "Yeah. Actually it _is_."

I blinked and my smirk halfway fell from my face - completely caught off guard. She had just did something I wanted her to do, and I didn't even use mind compulsion. I quickly thought this over, and decided that this was because of her immense love for me. She handed me the glass and I took it. I downed it in one gulp and then looked back at her. I instantly had a plan. _Just in case_, I thought.

I looked at her, fulling smirking again, and using mind compulsion this time said, "What? Don't _want_ it? Give it to _me_."

She stared at me with a blank face, and, then absently, downed it as well. I couldn't believe it. I used as much Power as I could, and it didn't even work. Not one little bit.

I genuinely smiled at her and said, "Well, well. Not such a lady _are _you?"

She smiled back and replied, "Nope." She paused and then continued, "I'm Selene."

"Selene," I said aloud - letting the name roll off my tongue and caressingly over my teeth.

Her smile grew, but she seemed a little impatient.

"Damon," I told her, "Damon _Salvatore_."

I suddenly remembered my earlier thoughts, and decided to _really_ test it out.

"Have you ever met my brother?_ Stefan_ Salvatore?" I asked her curiously.

She seemed to mull this over.

"Nope, that I remember," she replied.

"Excellent," I said.

She slightly cocked her head to the side, and then I told her, "Because you're gonna meet him _now_."

_*** So who is this Selene you may ask... Next two chapters will only **start** to explain. Yes, I'm evil... I know. xD ***_


	5. Chapter 5

_*** Wow... Thanks guys! Just one night and literally **hundreds** and hundreds of people will read your stories... That's **amazing**! Really guys, thanks! xD Now, I know Lucy (a.k.a. me) has some **major** explaining to do... Here's some of it. Oh... And sorry for all the repetition (in this one **and** future ones...) it's more for seeing the other characters views on things... You know, so the scenes make more sense. Enjoi!***_

Ch. 5

In the middle of our laughter, a familiar voice spoke up.

"Stefan? _Elena_? What a _splendid _surprise!" _Damon._

My expression went cold. What was he up to _this_ time? But then I noticed the brunette standing next to him. To a human, she would simply appear as enticing. To a vampire, she was almost _irresistible_. She was half a head shorter than Damon, yet this seemed not to bother her as she kept glancing up at him nervously.

"What are you _doing_ Damon?" I asked him.

He chuckled under his breath and then answered, "What am I _doing_? I'm introducing you to a new _friend_ I just made." He then continued by saying, "Stefan, Elena - Selene. Selene - Stefan and Elena."

The girl timidly smiled and nodded slightly.

"Hi," she said.

She looked at Elena then at me.

"So," she looked up at Damon, "_This_ is your brother?"

The way she asked it wasn't snotty but rather as an innocent confirming question.

Damon smiled and replied, "Yes. And _this_ lovely woman is Elena - his... _Amore._"

I looked at Elena only to see her slightly blushing. Damon looked at Elena with a knowing smirk and wiped it off as he looked at me.

Smiling ingenuously at me, he asked, "Mind if we...?" He looked at both me and Elena - too frozen to speak - and then said, "Good, I _thought_ not."

Elena looked at me and then got out. I scooted over as she sat down next to me.

Damon turned his back to us, and said to the girl in a faint French accent, "After you, Mademoiselle."

Her cheeks flushed at this. He helped her in the booth and then got in himself.

Finally, Elena spoke, "So, Selene..."

The girl looked at her.

"What do you do for a living?" Elena asked her.

* * *

"What do you do for a living?" I asked.

I was trying my best to ignore Damon as usual, but also the girl looked as timid as a mouse. I was trying to comfort her by distracting her.

"Well, I work here. I bartend," she answered.

I looked at her confused. She only looked to be eighteen - as old as I was.

"How _old_ are you?" I asked her just to make sure.

"I'm twenty-one going on twenty-two," she replied.

I stared at her stunned. She looked _so_ young. I noticed that she was becoming relax and more comfortable.

"When's your birthday?" I asked again.

"Uh, it's actually, like, a month away," she answered.

"Oh, when _exactly_ is it?" I asked.

She, at first, seemed a little unsure but then an embarrassed smile made its way to her face, and she mumbled, "Hallow's Eve."

* * *

"When's your birthday?" the blonde girl, Elena, asked.

Trying not to sound like a fool, I replied, "Uh, it's actually, like, a month away."

But, of course, the girl just _had_ to ask, "Oh, when _exactly_ is it?"

Great, just what I needed. Should I risk it? Risk being laughed at, not only by them, but by _Damon_ as well? I realized I had paused too long, and smiled as best as I could - though I felt completely like some sort of freak laughingstock.

"Hallow's Eve," I mumbled under my breath.

There was _no way_ I was actually going to say the real name. Elena and Stefan's eyes lit up, and, following suite was the smiles and laughter and the _No way!_'s and _Really?_'s. And can't forget... The word _Halloween_. I didn't want to know Damon's reaction. Not. One. Bit.

"_Halloween?_ That's so awesome!" Elena said apparently _thrilled_ about.

_Yeah, so says the _normal _girl_, I thought.

"All Hallow's Eve, eh?" I heard Damon ask, "_Interesting..._"

Finally, I looked at him confused. But right before I could ask him _what_ was interesting, a feminine voice called his name. I looked past him to see another blonde girl walking towards us.

_Or _rather_ walking towards Damon_, I thought in addition.

"_Damon..._" the girl whined.

"_Caroline..._" Damon mimicked back.

I clenched my teeth together to stop myself from laughing. But I was already caught.

"And who are _you_?" the girl asked me in a snotty voice. I opened my mouth to answer, but Damon beat me to it.

"_This_ is Selene," he told her - mocking the girl once again.

"Well..." she looked back at Damon, "_You_ have some explaining to do. Where _were_ you? You _said_ you'd meet me last night."

I heard Damon sigh and saw him roll his eyes in irritation.

He looked back at her and said, "Caroline..."

There was a second of silence, and in that moment I saw Caroline's eyes dilate.

"Why don't you _drop _it, and leave us _alone_," he continued.

His voice seemed to be filled with agitation.

Caroline's eyes went back to normal and she said, "You know _what_... Forget it. I'll just let you guys have some... _Alone_ time."

She walked off, and I looked at Stefan and Elena to see if they saw the same thing I did. They both seemed to be a little uneasy as they stared at me. What in the world was going on?

_*** Halloween? Hmm... And Damon thinks it's interesting... I wonder... And of course, Caroline trying to get in the middle of things for attention. Not unusual... Oh, and in this story she human. Just to let you guys know... Also let's see what Selene's reaction is... In the next chapter. Evil, huh? . And please... Reviews and comments are **definitely** encouraged! Alright, next chapter. Coming up! ***_


	6. Chapter 6

_*** Alright! A review! You guys have **no** idea how happy this make me... And thanks to writestyle! I know it's not the greatest start... (My angel story gets that credit... ) but I wasn't just gonna drop you guys in the middle of the plot line going "**What The - !**"... The story **will** be getting more interesting. Starting with this chapter. And as for developing chapters... **Trust me...** I got more where this came from. xD *** _

_*** And on the pronunciation of Samhain... It's pronounced **Sowin'**... No g... ***_

Ch. 6

I stared intently at Selene as she stared at us. I knew she saw it. The dilation of Caroline's eyes. There was no mistaking her look of confusion. She knew what she saw, but still wasn't comprehending it. She looked at Damon who was looking at her nonchalantly. Selene sighed - giving up.

"Yeah, so... What were you saying?" she asked Damon.

A quick look of surprise crossed his face so fast that I doubt she'd have seen it.

He kept his blasé look on and replied, "I was _saying_ that it was interesting that you were born on Halloween."

She looked at him puzzled.

"How is _that_ interesting?" she asked him.

"Well, the name _Selene_ translates into 'the moon'. And _Halloween_ originates from the Celtic festival of Samhain," he answered.

"_Sowing?_" she asked bewildered by the pronunciation.

Damon laughed under his breath and looked at Elena.

"_Elena_, do you have a pen?" he asked her.

She sighed calmly and pulled out a pen to which she held out to him.

He took it and said, "Thank you."

Taking Selene's paper napkin, he wrote Samhain on it.

"Samhain. _Not_ sowing. It's a festival held from October 31st to November 1st still held by some Neopagans. It is considered a type of... Festival of _darkness_."

He paused and I saw Selene's eyes start to understand.

Damon continued anyway, "It is believed that there is a veil between this world and the spirit world. And, during Samhain, these Neopagans also believe that the veil is at its thinest."

* * *

I thought about what Damon was saying.

Yes... It made sense. It was something my grandmother had told me before she passed away.

"It is the reason for _everything_," she had said.

I knew what she had meant.

I was born on the day that the veil was its thinest. Meaning I was bound to the spirit world as much as I was bound here on Earth. In fact, when my birthday should be my _favorite_ day of the year, it turned out to be the _worst_. _Always._

"Oh," I said after he finished - not wanting to reveal my thoughts.

That was the last thing they needed to know.

"So, how does that tie in with my name?" I asked him.

He shrugged and said, "Not sure. I know there are different lunar deities, but other than that... I just thought it was interesting."

* * *

Selene seemed to be at a loss. Stefan and I were, on other hand, quite impressed. We didn't know Damon was so... Intelligent. The waiter came by, and I instantly snuggled up against Stefan. The waiter didn't say anything, but seemed a little disappointed. I was _very_ thankful that he didn't. _Very._

"Tired?" Stefan asked.

As if my body was answering him itself, I automatically yawned.

He smiled and said, "I'm going to take Elena home. It was a pleasure meeting you Selene."

She nodded and said, "As were you."She then continued, acting as if it were a common thing to say, "Blessed be, Stefan." She looked at me and said, "Elena."

I could tell Stefan had already turned to stone by hearing this unusual phrase. Selene seemed calm and oblivious. Then I saw her eyes.

Her pupils appeared to be tilted, still, black stars. And the blue-gray part of her iris seemed to spin motionlessly like a colored ring on a tie-dyed t-shirt with mostly blue on the outside edge and mainly light gray around her pupil. Abruptly, her eyes went back to normal. She seemed to be confused at the petrified eyes of me and Stefan. Frightened, she looked up at Damon to only see him stare back at her just as transfixed as Stefan and I.

* * *

I looked at Selene and she looked at me. She was confused on what she said wrong.

"What?" she asked.

She looked at Stefan and Elena again, and then back at me.

I leaned towards her, and even though she didn't lean back, asked, "How do you know that phrase?"

She blinked and said, "I... I don't know what you're talking about."

I almost tried using mind compulsion when I remembered it didn't work on her.

"All I know was that I was going to say goodbye to Stefan and Elena. And then next thing I know... All three of you are looking at me bug-eyed," she continued rambling.

I opened my mouth to start interrogating her again, when Elena asked her a question instead, "What do you remember telling us?"

* * *

"What do you remember telling us?" I asked Selene before Damon could terrify the already disoriented girl.

She looked at me and then stared at the table - apparently trying to concentrate on her memory.

"Well..." she began to answer, "I remember everything until after Stefan said you and him were leaving. I think he said something else after that, but it's kinda foggy on what he said. Then, you guys were staring at me like... Like I was _crazy_ or something."

Damon and I looked at each other, and then I stared at Stefan.

"I saw her eyes," I said , "They were... _Weird..._"

Stefan looked at me strange - not understanding.

I turned and faced Damon. He had the same look.

_They were blue-gray whirlpools with black stared pupils_, I told him via telepathy.

* * *

I stared at Elena - frozen.

Weird eyes? This wasn't good.

_Great_, I thought, _Just when I _finally_ pick up a girl... She turns out to be another _supernatural_ being._ Really?... Was I _that_ desperate?

"_What!_" Selene said alarmed.

I turned to see her staring at me. I could hear her heartbeat speed up as she began to go into panic overload. A protruding, hazy blur of a thought sharply stabbed at my mind confused and accusingly. I mentally shook it off and ignored it.

A quick thought popped into my mind.

"How _much_ would you say that you trust me?" I asked her - coming up with a plan to isolate her with just the three of us.

"Uh..." she answered - obviously _pretending_ to contemplate it.

But I had already saw it in her eyes. She did. _Completely._

I mentally smiled at the thought.

_*** Oooo... Our little Selene knows more than she's willing to share. That's **very** interesting... And Damon... How do you guys feel about Damon being like super-intellent there for a few seconds? And who just loved how much detail I put into describing her "weird eyes"? More importantly... Where is Damon taking her? Review and comment, pwetty pwease! xD ***_

_*** Before I forget! This fanfic is a blend of both the tv show **and** the books... Just wanted to let you guys know before you went all WTF on me... ***_


	7. Chapter 7

_*** Finally! Sorry, for this being so short. I'll upload another one after I get done with my homework. (Homework? On the **weekend**? Is your teacher **crazy**? Yes, she is... She's an AP Composition teacher... God help me. .) But in this one, even though I know there's not much going on, we get to see Damon falling weak for a girl again... Yep, 'nuff said... ***_

Ch. 7

I got out of the booth and told Selene, "Come on."

"_What?_" she said.

"Out," I told her again.

She quickly got out and I grabbed her hand only to pull her out of the restaurant and into the parking lot. I literately swept her off her feet and into my arms.

"Close your eyes," I said.

She did as told and kept them close as ran to the house with her in my arms. In two seconds flat, I stood outside the boarding house. I put her down on her feet and told her to open her eyes. She did and turned to look at me.

I walked up to the front door and opened it. Gesturing her to go in, she nodded once and went in. I followed in behind her and closed the door. I began to lead her up the stairs to Stefan's room, when she tripped on the first stairway. I helped her up to have her hold onto my arm. Carefully, guiding her up the second stairway, I notice she began to slowly lag and slump against me. I picked her up and carried her to Stefan's door. Stefan immediately appeared and opened the door for me. _Speaking of the Devil..._ I thought. I laid Selene on the bed, and turned around to see Elena rush into the room. She paused at the doorway, and then walked up to Stefan's side.

"She fell asleep while I was helping her up the stairs," I said aloud.

Stefan nodded and said, "She can stay here tonight. I'll sleep in the room across."

Elena looked at Stefan.

"I'm staying here," she told him.

I watched as Selene slept so peacefully.

After a pause of silence, Elena and Stefan walked out of the room - closing it behind them. I sighed and decided I should leave. As I turned around, something weakly grabbed my hand. I looked back to see a drowsy Selene staring at me with heavy-lidded eyes.

"Stay..." she sluggishly commanded.

The way she looked at me almost _killed_ me. I felt my heart give a tight squeeze. I stood still for a moment before taking off my shoes. I got underneath the covers with her, and she huddled up next to me. I held her close against my chest and slowly fell unconscious with her that way.

_*** So how's that? If you guys think I'm going too fast, let me know... I want this one to go on a good, easy pace while still going at light speed pace of action and drama... If that's even possible... So just let me know... And I know it just **kills** you guys to stop and post a review, but... PLEASE please... With whipped cream and cherries on top... Please post some... Other wise I'll have to play the whole hostage game. xD Thanks! ***_

_*** Next... With constant repetition on certain scenes (told you guys...) Selene and Damon seem to have a spark ignite instantly. (A.k.a. Next one's super lovey dovey... Get over it. xD) ***_


	8. Chapter 8

_***Alright! Review number Dos! xD Oh and by the way with the whole hostage-and-randsom thing with the reviews... That was a **complete** joke.. Yeah, I'd probably **never** go through with it anyways..._

_So like I was saying... **The New Review!**... Yes, told you guys the plot would be interesting. And, yes, I have been constantly thinking this somewhat through in my head as how this story is gonna go. The main essence is brilliant I tell you! xD Oh... You guys have **no** idea what's coming..._

_As for the part where each character has their own line... I **think** I know what you mean. But just in case I don't, might I have an example? Pwetty Pwease? xD Either way I'll go and fix it the way I read and understood it..._

_And with the part about how much research... Well, at first it was just daydreaming... (That's how **everything** starts for me... xD) and then wha-la! But also I'm also currently writing this angel/fallen angel story (very complicated, that's all you need to know...) so from there you can obviously tell that I have this very unusual obsession with supernatural beings... Especially if they are celestial-type beings... [wink wink... ; ) ! ] Basically, for Selene's birthday, I was looking for a special date that the Wiccans acknowledged that involved the moon (for obvious reasons)... I wanted a kind of witchy feel for her. From there, I eventually found a lot of interesting stuff including Samhain... And it was on and around Halloween, so I basically said, "Sure, why not? That's totally awesome!"_

_Oh! Your welcome! And so do I! xD_

_(If you wonder what I'm rambling about, go to my homepage and click the red word "Reveiws". This'll make a **whole** lot more sense. xD ***_

_*** Geez, this one's a long one guys! Sorry about that. Did you know that so far this is the longest one I've upload... Yeah... Wow!_

_Also this is beginning of major repetition... (Sorry! Don't kill me!) Next one will be more repetitively annoying, I promise! ***_

_*** So Selene wakes up and realizes things are instantly wrong. How much worse/better could it get? Read on. ***_

Ch. 8

I opened my eyes to see the back of a guy's black shirt. He had short black hair and I _definitely_ didn't want to know his name. It was _already_ weird enough to find myself in this awkward position.

_Yes_, I thought to myself, _Little Miss Righteous has _finally_ lost _all_ her common sense._

Immediately, the mysterious figure grunted. I lay frozen until I was sure he was still asleep. I tried to think back to last night, but it hurt to much. I realized that I had a _major_ headache. Putting two and two together, I figured I probably got so wasted last night that: a) I had the_ worse_ headache in history _ever_ this morning; and, b) my memory was _completely_ swiped. _Ugh... Great. A night I_ can't _remember, and_ most _likely won't _want _to remember_, I thought once again. I cautiously looked under the sheet - careful not to wake him - and saw that we were both still clothed. I silently sighed in relief. _Good._

I carefully turned onto my back and looked around to see quite a clean room. A _guy's_ room? _Clean?_ I couldn't believe it.

I felt a slight movement of the bed and slowly turned my head to the left. The same stranger who had been sleeping so profoundly only seconds ago, was now on his side - his right arm bent to allow his head to rest in his hand. His left arm was resting against him - currently having no apparent use.

"Buongiorno miei rara bellezza," he said in what seemed like Italian.

Each syllable was pronounced caressingly with what sounded like affection. For starters, I didn't know _any_ Italian. But I _did_ know buongiorno meant "good day" and that _bella_ meant beautiful... Rara? _Rare?..._

I added all that I knew together and... Wait. Rare _beautiful_? I thought it over again and then came up with... Rare _beauty_? That didn't sound good.

Using his left hand, he reached out and brushed my bang out of the way and behind my right ear. He then began to trace - on the same side - alongside my hair line with the back of his index finger. He stopped midway when he realized I was paralyzed in fear.

* * *

I woke up to little movements of the bed. Suddenly remembering last night, I swiftly turned onto my right side - my right arm being used as a head rest. Selene turned around and looked at me surprised.

"Buongiorno miei rara bellezza," I told her in Italian - caressing every syllable as it rolled off my tongue. _Good morning, my rare beauty._

I watched as she tried to figure out what it meant inside her head. As she seemed to come to a surprised conclusion, I reached out with my left hand and brushed her light brown hair out of her face and behind her right ear. Her facial expression of wonder was _so_ innocent and pure that I seemed to lose my mind _all at once_ at the sight. Tenderly using the back of my forefinger, I began to trace down the same side of her face - my finger running parallel to her hair line. When I reached the top of her cheek bone, I stopped. I realized she wasn't in awe but in _fear_.

I stared into her eyes, and she into mine - both waiting for a reaction from each other. I could tell she had immobilized herself from terror.

I open my mouth only to close it. I didn't know what to say.

_Yes_, I thought,_ I,_ Damon Salvatore_, does _not_ know what to say to a girl._

"Who _are_ you?" she demanded with such confidence it blew me away.

"I _told_ you," I replied.

"No, you _didn't_," she tried to correct.

I rolled my eyes and had a pretty good guess why she couldn't remember. I focused in on her pulse and found my "theory" to be right. She had a massive hangover.

"_Well?_" she asked stubbornly.

"Damon," I finally answered, "Damon _Salvatore_."

* * *

"Damon," he replied at last, "Damon _Salvatore_."

Abruptly, everything from last night surged through my brain. I felt instantly stupid for basically calling him a liar. He _had_ told me his name before. _Oops._

He got up from the bed and before opening the door told me, "I'll go get you some aspirin. _Stay here._"

He walked out of the room and closed the door behind him. It opened again but only a crack. I saw his face through the little window of space.

"_Please?_" he said. I looked at him confused.

"Stay _here_," he replied to my unspoken question.

I nodded and he closed the door once again.

* * *

I closed the door behind me for a second time, and strode to the room across the corridor in an egotistical manner. Opening the door, I found Stefan and Elena already awake still lying underneath the covers.

"_Damon!_" they both howled.

"Don't worry. If I see something I haven't seen before, then I'll throw a dollar at it."

Elena rolled her eyes and Stefan asked, "What do you want, Damon?"

"You know... That's _all_ I ever hear anymore. 'What are you _doing_, Damon?' Or... 'What do you _want_, Damon?' It's _very_ heartbreaking to know that you don't trust me. I mean, we're _brothers_ after all, _right_?" I mocked.

"_Damon..._" Elena said apparently annoyed.

"_Alright_, alright. _Just_ wanted to know if you had some _aspirin_," I replied.

She sighed and answered, "It's in my purse."

Instantaneously, I saw her purse. I opened it and pulled out a little Excedrin bottle. I unscrewed the lid, shook two pills into the palm of my right hand, screwed the cap back on, and put it back in her purse.

Zipping the purse back up and putting it back where I found it, I said, "_Thank_ you, Elena."

"You're welcome, Damon," she replied still tired.

I walked out of the room, closing the door behind me, and instantly ran downstairs to find a bottle of water in the refrigerator in the kitchen. I ran back upstairs and opened the door to the room me and Selene slept in.

After closing the door, I looked at her to find that she was _actually_ still on the bed.

"What? Decided to _stay_?" I said jokingly.

She smiled and said, "Yes."

I handed her the pills and the bottle of water. I sat down next to her as she drank them and then took another swig of water afterwards. She tightened the lid on the bottle, placed it on the bed stand and turned to look at me - need in her eyes. An unknown feeling and need welled up inside of me. It wasn't hunger, I knew that much.

"Damon..." she murmured - pulling me out of my thoughts.

My heart stopped. The way she said it was so...

* * *

I put the water bottle down on the bed stand and turned to look at him. He stared at me so concerned. So attentive. I realized that I loved him. I knew I was insane for wanting it - I mean, I didn't really even _know_ him. But a part of me apparently had a feeling that it _did_.

Softly, I said his name, "Damon..." He looked at me surprised.

I leaned towards him and kissed him on the lips. I pulled away for a moment to see his eyes still closed and his head inclining towards me. I wrapped my arms around his neck and kissed him again but more passionately.

* * *

"Damon..." she murmured.

My heart stopped. The way she said it was so...

Suddenly, she kissed me. I felt her pull away, but I leaned towards her reflexively anyway. She kissed me again but more passionately. My love for her and my hunger all rushed to the surface - allowing my fangs to sharpen and lengthen. Accidentally, as I held onto her bottom lip, I pierced her flesh with my elongated fangs. She gasped - startled - so I let go of her bottom lip instinctively.

She untied her arms from my neck only to pull me back towards her. I kissed her and then slowly made my way down and up her neck with small, little kisses. When I found her jugular vein, I sank my fangs into her. She then moaned as the feeling of giving me her blood left her feeling exhilarated. Her thoughts flooded into my mind as the barrier between both of us crumbled like chalk.

She _knew_ what I was... A _vampire_. But yet... She didn't mind. In fact, she only loved me _more_ because of it.

_Forever_, she thought, _Just you and me._

And, truthfully, that's what I wanted too.

_Forever..._, she thought again, _Just _you _and me._

_*** And **how** many of you are thinking that Selene is **absolutely** insane? Uh-humm... **Just** like I thought. Craziness continues in the chapter to follow suite... ***_


	9. Chapter 9

_*** I'm just gonna say it straight out... **Sorry.** Please don't shoot! I **know** it's been awhile since I last updated. But I'm gonna post a butt load now just to make up for it. ***_

_* So back to about this story... Like I've said before in previous chapters... Sorry for the repetition. *_

_* The **beginning** of Damon&Selene's story now begins to unravel. [Cue evil grin.] *_

_*** Enjoy! ***_

Ch. 9

As soon as Damon closed the door, Elena sighed in relief. She looked at me and smiled. I knew what she was up to, but couldn't help but look like an oblivious fool. I smiled back, and then, slowly, kissed her. She giggled - happy to get her way - and kissed me back. I kissed her tenderly again, but at once recognized a familiar scent. _Blood._

"Did I...?" I began to ask her.

She gave me a look of puzzlement.

"Are you bleeding?" I asked her again.

"No... Why?" she asked back.

I suddenly remembered last night, and ran out of the room and into _theirs_. Selene and Damon were sitting on the bed, but I noticed how they were. Selene's back was slightly arched, and Damon's face was buried in the right side of her neck - drinking her blood. I instantly grabbed him from behind and threw him against the wall opposite to the bed. Faster than the blink of the human eye, I was holding Damon against the wall by his neck.

"What are you _doing_, Damon? We need to talk to her. You can't just _suck_ her dry and _throw_ her away," I yelled at Damon, "She _obviously_ knows something _we_ don't."

* * *

_Forever..._, I thought, _Just you and me._

In that instant, Damon was wrenched away from me. I opened my eyes and saw another guy holding Damon against the wall by his neck.

"What are you _doing_, Damon? We need to talk to her. You can't just _suck_ her dry and _throw_ her away," the other guy yelled.

He seemed eerily of the same likeness of Damon.

"She _obviously_ knows something _we_ don't," Damon's likeness continued.

Who _was_ this guy? Then I remembered.

"Stefan!" I cried, "Let him go!"

He turned his head to look at me, but instantaneously the situation changed. _Damon_ was now the one holding _Stefan_ against the wall.

"Listen _here_, little _brother_. I know _more_ about her than you could _ever_ know. _You_ might want to "protect her humanity", but it's _me_ who wins _this_ time, _Brother_," he growled.

I could tell from the venom in Damon's voice that he was close to killing his own brother.

"_Damon..._ Put him _down_," I told him.

He stayed still for a few seconds, but only to quickly tighten his grip on his brother's neck.

"_Now_," I ordered. Damon became motionless again, but then instantly let go - causing Stefan to fall to his feet and rub his now-free neck in somewhat relief.

Elena suddenly appeared next to Stefan. She looked at me desperately thankful. I saw the quick change of her eyes as she angrily stared with pure hatred at Damon. The_ irony _was that he didn't _care_ or _mind_.

* * *

Her thoughts echoed in my mind.

_Yes_, I thought back, _Just _you_... And _me_... Forever..._

Her emotions whirled inside my head like a deep haze - making me _almost_ delirious... Or had I _already_ lost it? Neither thought mattered to me anyway, so I stopped trying to think complex thoughts. All her thoughts and feelings... I knew I was in a _complete_ incoherent frenzy by now. It felt... Incredible... Killer... Out of this... _Something..._ I couldn't remember the word. But I _knew_ it felt _fantastic_...

Until I was suddenly pulled away, thrown backwards, hit a hard surface, and was held against it - with a hand so tight around my neck that it actually hurt. I blinked in surprise and my mind instantly cleared. _What was going on? Have I _really_ lost it?_

I saw my brother shouting at me, so I started _actually_ listening to what he was saying.

"You can't just _suck_ her dry and _throw_ her away. She _obviously_ knows something _we_ don't," he yelled.

I knew he was trying to make a point, but it didn't matter.

_Suck her _dry_ and throw her _away_? I would _never _do that to her. NEVER!_

Anger, directed straight at Stefan, surged through my veins at once from the thought of doing that to her.

"Stefan!" Selene cried.

_Good_, I thought, _A _perfect_ distraction._

"Let him go!" she howled.

He turned his head to look at her, and I took the opportunity to flip the situation. Now _I_ was holding _him_ up. I felt my Power grow viciously potent. I drew back my mouth in a snarl.

"Listen _here_, little _brother_. I know _more_ about her than you could _ever_ know. _You_ might want to "protect her humanity", but it's _me_ who wins _this_ time, _Brother_," I growled.

I was _majorly_ ticked off.

How _dare_ he think he can just burst into here - into my personal business - and _tell_ me what I'd do _to_ her.

"_Damon..._ Put him _down_," Selene gently ordered.

_I would _never_ do such a thing_, I continued thinking - ignoring her.

I tightened my grip on my brother's neck.

"_Now_," Selene commanded in a motherly voice.

But I sill ignored her.

_I wouldn't._

But I thought back to two seconds before Stefan pulled me away.

A powerful feeling inside of me promptly and fiercely demanded that I let him go, so I did. He dropped to the floor and doubled over - trying to grasp his breath - and started rubbing his neck.

_Oops_, I thought, _Guess I was holding him _too_ tightly._

Elena, at once, appeared by his side. She quickly looked at Selene - grateful for her intervening. Elena then glared at me with all her hatred and loathing and despise for me. I didn't care anymore for that. I didn't love her anymore. I had already given up on her... She was a lost cause.

But now that my mind was _truly_ clear, I realized the person's reaction I cared for _most_ was sitting on the bed. I wanted to turn and look at her, but Stefan's words kept playing over and over in my mind like a broken record - which I hadn't heard in a _long_, long while.

_You can't just _suck_ her dry and _throw_ her away._

He was right. What _was_ I doing? I could've _easily_ killed her and wouldn't have even _realized_ what I was doing until it was too late.

I had to go. I had to leave.

But I couldn't. My feet wouldn't move. _I_ couldn't move. _At all._

Another feeling arose inside of me. A feeling that said that it didn't _want_ me to leave. It wanted me to _stay_.

But that wasn't right. I didn't _want_ to stay. I _couldn't_ look Selene in the eyes after losing control so easily like that _twice_. Still, it didn't matter. I couldn't move. And then it hit me.

I opened my mouth and realized I was still able to talk.

"Selene?" I said softly.

_Silence._

"Yes," she replied.

"How do you feel right now?" I asked her.

She paused to think and then replied, "Scared."

"How do you feel about _me_?" I asked more specifically.

"About _you_?" she answered - puzzled at my question, "I feel..."

She stopped and then it seemed as if I had finally broken the dam - her words gushing all at once.

"I'm scared you're going to run off and not come back. I feel like you're going to leave me... Forget me... _Move on..._" she answered - revealing her insecurities, "Like you don't want to have _anything_ to do with _me_."

I could feel a familiar human feeling taking over inside of me. _Hysteria._ But it wasn't _my_ feelings. It was _Selene's_.

"You don't want me to leave," I stated, "You want me to _stay_."

Out of the corner of my right eye, I saw her nod slightly. Stefan and Elena looked at me confused.

I finally looked up and met Selene's eyes. There was no hatred. No disappointment. There was only longing. I could tell she wanted to be back in my arms - whether she wanted to admit it aloud or not.

_But first things first_, I thought - reminding myself.

I genuinely smiled and asked her, "You want to know a _secret_?"

This seemed to cheer her up.

She smiled back excitedly and answered, "_Yeah_. What _is_ it?"

I instantly found that I wasn't being possessedly held frozen any longer. I mentally sighed in relief. I knew if I didn't react quickly, I'd be paralyzed on the spot where I was still standing again. I cautiously took one step towards the bed to see if I could _truly_ move. Apparently, I could, for I had no problems. I was free again. But like the quote goes,_ With great power comes great responsibility_. In other words, I knew my new found power of freedom was only _temporary_.

I then, suddenly, appeared on the bed next to Selene. She looked at me surprised, but then mentally shook it off.

"_Well?_" she asked.

She was starting to become a little impatient. I smiled at the thought. It reminded me of _Katherine_.

"_Well..._ You are _quite_ the enchantress. Aren't _you_?" I told her.

She gave me a puzzled look, and I continued, "You've been _controlling_ me, haven't you?"

Her eyes went wide in shock, but it wasn't the kind I was expecting. It wasn't the _Oh no! You've caught me!_ kind of shock, but rather the _I'm being accused of _what_?_ kind.

"_Controlling_?" she asked innocently.

I nodded and she stared at me with hurt in her crystal-clear, baby blue eyes.

* * *

"_Well?_" I asked him getting a little impatient.

I was eager to know his secret. _Any_ of his secrets. Anything about _him_.

He smiled, apparently thinking of a happy, old memory. A random name popped into my mind softly spoken by his voice. _Katherine._ Who in the world was _Katherine_? Suddenly, his attention focused back on me.

"_Well..._ You are _quite_ the enchantress. Aren't _you_?" he said.

_What?_ What was he _talking_ about?_ Enchantress?_ What?

"You've been _controlling_ me, haven't you?" he asked accusingly.

Wait. _What?_ Me controlling _him_? Moments ago, I could've sworn _he_ was controlling _me_. After all, he _did_ somehow quickly convince me with _just_ a look to let him sink his teeth into me. _Literally._

"_Controlling?_" I asked him confused.

Something was _definitely_ wrong with him.

He nodded and then stared into my eyes. His black eyes showed _no_ indication if he was _kidding_ or being _serious_. I was hoping that he was kidding.

"Seconds ago, I felt a feeling _exactly_ like how you just described to me," he told me.

Evidently, he was being serious.

"In _fact_, I was even _literally_ paralyzed," he continued, "I '_couldn't_ go'. I '_had_ to stay'."

When I gave him a look of _Yeah, right, whatever..._, he said, "To be honest, I wanted to get as _far_ away from here as possible. But..." He trailed off - letting me fill in the rest of the blanks.

I blinked. A passive reaction of mine that was mechanical and automatic in situations like these. Especially, now since my real reaction was to laugh. He was being serious about me _controlling_ him... _Physically. _And if I rethought what he had just said, I had controlled him _mentally_ as well.

I couldn't help it anymore. My emotionless face stretched as I tried so hard not to grin. Next thing I knew, I was cracking up.

He _had_ to be kidding. In fact, it was _too_ funny to even _comprehend_.

* * *

I stared at Selene's impassive expression as I waited for her reaction.

What was she _thinking_? Did she understand what I was saying?

I thought over what I said and realized how stupid it sounded.

The _real_ questions were: Did she _believe_ me? Or did she think I was _absolutely_ crazy? I realized I already knew the answer to_ both_ of those questions.

Of _course_ she didn't believe me. I sounded like I was a mentally deranged patient from a mental institution.

_Controlling_ me? Wow... That sounded _really_ lame.

And as if to prove my point, Selene slowly burst out laughing - going from trying not to grin to full out laughter.

"Controlling _you_? Three minutes ago I let you sink your _teeth_ into me. I think _you're_ the one who's _controlling_," she scoffed.

I sighed.

Of _course_... Who was I _kidding_? It could've been me controlling her all along. I would've _never_ realized it.

But _wait_... Mind compulsion didn't work on her.

If it wasn't her... And it wasn't _me_... Then who was it?

* * *

Damon sighed and I realized how harsh and stupid it sounded. He was no more controlling then _me_. In fact, _I_ had the choice. And I had made it. I had _wanted _to kiss him. This was all _my_ fault. I was only deflecting right now.

"Damon..."

He looked up and I saw the torment and pain in his eyes again.

"I'm sorry."

He blinked in confusion. I could hear random thoughts spoken by his voice in my head.

_Sorry? For _what_? It wasn't _her_ fault. Maybe it was _more_ evil kitsunes. Great... _Just_ what we needed._

"What are kitsunes?" I curiously asked aloud.

Everyone's head shot up to look straight at me - surprise and terror.

_Especially..._ Damon.

* * *

"What are kitsunes?" Selene asked.

I stared at her startled.

Wait. Who said anything about _kitsunes_?

I paused as I realized that it was _me_. I hadn't said it, but I had clearly _thought_ it.

"And the girl can read _minds_..." I said as I stood up from the bed.

I walked over to the window and began to slightly pace back and forth.

What in the _world_? Was she a supernatural _freak_?

"_Hey!_" Selene barked, "I don't appreciate being called a 'freak'!"

"Selene," Stefan calmly redirected her attention.

She looked at him and he asked, "What am _I_ thinking?"

* * *

"What am _I_ thinking?" Stefan asked.

I stared at him blankly.

First of all, to _know_ that I was _reading_ minds was crazy in itself. To be reading _Damon's_ mind was... Well, _interesting_. But another thing was that I hadn't mean to - I didn't know _how_... I just... _Did._

So when Stefan asked what he believed was a _simple_ request, it turned out to be, instead, a quite _difficult_ and _complex_ one...

"Uh..." I said - obviously stalling.

I looked at Damon, but instead of help, I saw the same on-edge anticipation that Stefan and Elena wore. Damon had stopped pacing. I could tell that he wanted to know just as badly as them... As _me_...

"_Elena?_" I asked more than said.

He seemed to relax, but more in a disappointed way. Damon and Elena's heads both snapped to look at Stefan to see his reaction.

"My journal," Stefan corrected.

Elena sighed in solace, but Damon still seemed tense about the whole situation.

"What is _Elena_ thinking?" Damon asked - his voice beginning to tremble.

I looked over at Elena and instantly knew she was the same as Stefan. I couldn't read their minds.

"Nope," I told them.

That was good. I was still _somewhat_ normal.

But then a thought inserted itself into my mind.

_Damon._ The Damon who loved me. The Damon whom _I_ loved. The Damon who...

"_Selene. _What are you _doing_?" Stefan's voice spoke up.

I stopped and realized I was standing. Straight in front of me, only a few more steps away, was Damon.

"I was going to hug Damon," I lied.

I hoped Stefan could fill in the blanks with the idea of me comforting Damon.

I knew what happened. It was Damon who had inserted the thought. _Testing_ it or whatnot? Well, only _Damon_ knew.

I walked up to Damon and hugged him. Not like a lover, but like an understanding friend. Only in _this _situation he was as stiff as a board.

A thought came to me.

If _he_ could control _me_ with thoughts and feelings, couldn't _I_ do the same to _him_?

Focusing all my mind and heart into the idea of him hugging me back, I slowly amplified the emotion until I _knew_ it was enough. And slowly, but surely he _did_ - doing it _just_ right enough so that it was _absolutely_ convincing. I secretly smiled at my personal success.

"_Selene..._" Stefan began.

I let go of Damon and, slowly, he followed my lead. Before turning to look at Stefan, I could see the bitter sadness and swelling longing in Damon's fathomless black eyes.

"_What?_" I asked Stefan - a little irritated from his interruption.

"We need to talk... About who you are... _What_ you are..." Stefan replied.

I sighed and replied, "My grandmother used to say that the sun may always rise, but it _always_ has to set as well."

All three of them stared at me blankly - not getting the main point.

"She told me when I was quite young. About when I was six years old. She _had_ to tell me because a lot of _weird_ things were happening," I continued.

I smiled as I remembered a single occurrence.

"I remember one day I was playing with some of the neighbor's children. Two girls. Emily and Ashley. We were playing in my grandmother's living room. You see she would often watch them."

"Emily was fine. A good, little child. _Ashley_, on the other hand, was a total... _Pixie_. She was trying to push all my buttons. And let me_ tell_ you... She was doing a _pretty_ good job. Next thing I know she's hanging upside down in midair with no one holding her - being shaken _violently_. It was a _pretty _hilarious site to tell you the truth."

Stefan and Elena shared a look of "_Ummm... Okay..._".

"My grandmother happened to walk in in that moment. It almost gave her a heart attack. Being one herself, she instantly ran to me. Apparently, I had the same kind of eyes that you described last night. She then unto starting shaking me violently as well - crying 'Selena! _Selena!_' Of course, when I came back into consciousness, Ashley immediately fell to the ground. Crying like the big baby she was..."

Out of the corner of my eye, I could see a small smirk on Damon's face.

"Since then I've been seemingly isolated from everyone. Except for the last two years though. The 'mist of forgetfulness' has finally sunk in, I suppose. I have a few friends. They live here in Mystic Falls," I finished rambling.

"But...," Elena spoke up, "_What_ are you?"

I smiled sincerely and replied, "And the star doesn't fall far from the sky."

She gave me a confused look, and I continued, "My grandmother said I was a kind of powerful 'witch'. But not a 'witch'... Something _more_. As I grew older, my grandmother helped me learn how to keep myself in check. We never did find out from all our research what I am, but... Her last words were, 'It is the reason for _everything_'."

The three of them stared at me with what I guess to be some kind of pity.

"I like to think that after the sun sets... The moon is the one to rise - bringing new light to the world. A _softer_ light in all the darkness..." I told them, "I would _also_ like to think that _this_ doesn't change anything... But I'd be _lying_ if I did."

* * *

I stared at Selene.

My heart had dropped so low in empathy that I couldn't believe it. It was honestly a sad story. I mean, even her _grandmother_ couldn't help her...

But then I saw it again. Selene's eyes... They were somewhat normal, but somewhat not. Her pupils were stuck between the black stars and round circles. Her irises slightly swirled.

_Damon_, I thought - hoping he'd hear me, _Selene's eyes... They're becoming weird again._

_

* * *

_

_Damon_, a voice spoke in my head.

It caught me off guard. At first I thought it was Selene, but I realized the voice sounded different. It sounded like... _Elena_.

_Selene's eyes... They're becoming weird again._

I looked at Selene and saw that her eyes were morphed.

I sighed.

My day was _only _going to get worse, _wasn't_ it?

* * *

I suddenly began to feel hopeless... Looking at Damon, I instantly knew why. But then I saw it in the corner of my eye.

In the full-length mirror, I saw myself. Something was off about me.

I turned my head to look at myself better and found the "something". My eyes were... _Unnatural_. I remembered what Elena had said last night.

_I saw her eyes. They were..._ Weird.

I _was_ a freak, wasn't I?

Suddenly, Damon was by my side - his hand cradling the left side of face. He wiped something wet away from under my eye with his thumb. The look in his black void eyes deeper than the desperate, sorrow-filled universe.

_Don't cry_, his voice desperately echoed in my mind, _**Please...** Don't cry..._

Just as I was about to respond - out of nowhere - the chorus of Crossfire by Brandon Flowers began to play. It was my cell going off in my front, right pant pocket.

In one quick motion, I pulled it out, flipped it open, and put it to my ear.

"Hello?" I said into the phone.

* * *

I watched as Selene pulled out her phone and put it to her ear. I didn't dare move away from her.

"Hello?" she said.

"_Selene?_ Where _are_ you? You're gonna be late to work!" I heard the other girl's voice shriek from the phone.

"Calm down. I'm on my way," Selene replied.

She closed the phone as the other girl continued to shriek into the phone.

Looking up at me, she said, "I gotta go. I'm late."

I nodded once and replied, "Bourbon."

She gave me a weird look and then seemed to understand.

"I like Bourbon," I repeated.

_*** So back from the universe of total weirdom 101... How do you guys like it so far? Crazy, I know... But it all eventually gets figured out, don't worry. ; ) And, **yes**, if you haven't noticed by **now**, I've kept the whole telepathy thing from the book... ***_

_*** Still would love to hear you're guys' reviews! This story is basically open-ended. So fire away... (with love, of course) xD ***_


	10. Chapter 10

_*** The next part after that... xD This would be later in the day - like midday. Sun's definitely still up midday... ***_

_* Alright, a little risky (not really...) btw. *_

_* Just want to say sorry for the bipolar-ness you see in Damon. Well worth it I gotta say, though... *_

_*** Enjoy! ***_

Ch. 10

"Well, _well_... Little Miss Sunshine has _all_ her drinks in a row," a familiar voice jested.

After finally setting down the last bottle of bourbon, I looked up with a smile to see Damon sitting down on a stool so that he would be directly in front of me.

"I got six types of bourbon," I told him.

He nodded with a look of interest and what could only be described as _Hmmm..._

Lightly dragging my right forefinger across the bottles from left to right, I asked, "Which one ya want?"

"Hmm..." he replied.

"Well, this one," he pointed at the third one from the right, "is too soft on the kick. The kiddie version, if you will."

I laughed, but he continued anyway, "And this one," he pointed at the second one to the left, "This one is the one I prefer. The hardest kick..."

"Well, Mr. Hardest Kick," I looked at the bottle he was talking about, "I guess it's Kentucky Straight for you."

He smiled the most egotistical smile I've ever seen. I rolled my eyes and put each of the five remaining bottles away - one by one. Then I gave him a clean collins glass and let him have free reign of his bourbon.

"That's the last bottle," I told him with a knowing look, "Use it _wisely_."

He raised his filled glass and replied, "Bottom's up."

Then, like last night when we met, he downed it one, quick swig.

"Good for you," I said.

A man further down at the end of the bar motioned for me, so I said, "Be right back."

Without waiting for a response, I moved on down the line to the man. The man had black hair that kind of fell in his face like Damon's along with hard, dark brown eyes.

"Hey, Sweetie, how ya doing?" he asked.

"Just _fine_," I replied with a sarcastic smile.

"Don't be that way, _Sweetheart_," he said.

I mentally rolled my eyes and then asked irritatedly, "What do you want?"

He seemed to smile at an inside joke.

"What do I _want_?" he began to answer.

I sighed and said, "Call me over when you actually _want_ a drink."

I turned to walk back to Damon, but he grabbed my arm. I stopped and glared at him.

"I want _you_, Sweet-cheeks," he replied.

I tried to yank my arm away from his grasp, but it was too strong. He then suddenly tugged on my arm so hard that it sent me flying towards him. Bent over the bar, I groaned in agony as the sting of pain eased away.

"_That's_ more like it," the man said.

He leaned forward and kissed me hard. With my free hand, I tried to push him away, but like I said... No use.

Abruptly, his head pulled away from mine, and I opened my eyes to see Damon holding him by his black mane of hair. With his other hand, Damon easily pried the man's hand from my arm.

"You'll _apologize _to the woman for what you did. And you'll _mean_ it," Damon instructed as he stared into the man's eyes.

He let go the man and stood there - obviously boiling over in anger. The man turned to look at me - his pupils hugely dilated.

"I'm _sorry_ for what I did. I had _no_ right," the man said.

I nodded - not knowing how to reply.

The man looked back at Damon only to have Damon tell him, "And you will stay _away_ from her too or you'll be _dead_ the instant you touch her. _Understood?_"

The man nodded and replied, "I understand."

"Good, now get out of my sight," Damon told him.

The man got up from his stool and walked right out of the bar.

"Are you okay?" Damon asked.

I could see that he was trying so hard to keep the venom from his words.

"Yeah," I said, "I'm fine."

* * *

"That's the last bottle," Selene said - giving me a look that said she _knew_ what was going on, "Use it _wisely_."

I raised my filled glass and replied, "Bottom's up."

Then I downed it one swig.

"Good for you," she said.

She seemed distracted, but before I could ask, she said, "Be right back."

She turned around and walked down to the end of the bar. There sat a man with black hair that covered his head like a curtain. A curtain that needed to be _desperately_ trimmed.

I smiled at the thought and poured myself some more bourbon.

"Hey, Sweetie, how ya doing?" I heard the man ask Selene.

"Just _fine_," she replied.

She was annoyed, I could tell.

"Don't be that way, _Sweetheart_," the man said.

So far, I didn't like how this was going.

"What do you want?" Selene irritably asked.

"What do I _want_?" he replied with a smirk in his voice.

No... I didn't like how this going _at all_.

"Call me over when you actually_ want_ a drink," Selene spat back.

That was my girl.

I smiled and downed my second pouring of bourbon.

"I want _you_, Sweet-cheeks," he replied.

This man was _obviously_ trying to get on my nerves.

Next thing I know, I hear Selene groaning in what sounded like pain. I looked over to see her bent over the bar. Her face clearly showing pain. But what stopped me was how the man had his hand tight around her arm.

"_That's_ more like it," the man said before forcing a kiss on her lips.

In an instant, I was off of my stool and by his side - grabbing his black mop of hair and yanking his head away from Selene's. With my other hand, I ripped his hand off of Selene's arm.

I let go of him and looked deep into his eyes.

Pushing my will onto his, I hissed, "You'll _apologize_ to the woman for what you did. And you'll _mean_ it."

He looked at Selene and said her, "I'm _sorry_ for what I did. I had _no_ right."

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Selene just simply nod.

He then looked at me, and I told him, "And you will stay _away_ from her too or you'll be _dead_ the instant you touch her. _Understood?_"

The man nodded and answered, "I understand."

"Good, now get out my sight," I told him.

_Before I rip your pretty boy neck open and suck you dry. Before I break your lovely white hand into a million pieces. Before I rip your beautiful mop of a head off and..._

I looked at Selene.

Her eyes followed the man out of the bar and then looked back at me like a deer in the headlights.

Trying to keep the poisonous venom from my voice, I asked her, "Are you okay?"

"Yeah," she replied, "I'm fine."

* * *

_Thank _God_..._, I thought.

My shift for today was over. It was finally time to leave this dump.

I punched my card and grabbed my stuff.

_Home, here I come_, I thought once again.

I walked out of the back room and back into the restaurant. Damon was waiting patiently on the same stool as before. As I stopped beside him, he turned to look at me with his charming, signature smile.

"Time to go _already_?" he asked.

I nodded and he pretend to frown.

"But I don't _want_ to go," he whined.

I laughed and asked him, "How much have you had to drink? I think you're drunk."

He scrunched his face in thought and then answered by raising his right hand to show a small distance between his thumb and his forefinger.

"Just a _little_," he said aloud.

I glanced at the bottle to see it empty.

"_Holy_ - Did you _drink_ all of it?" I asked him.

"No, of _course_ not," he then pointed at another guy at a table and said, "He came over and drank like a third of the bottle."

Damon then muttered under his breath. I could only assume that it was a string of curse words meant to be aimed at the guy.

"Alright, we're _going_," I told him.

He took a last, finishing swig of his bourbon and set the glass back on the table.

He got up and walked out of the bar with me following after him. For drinking as much as he did, he walked pretty straight and talked pretty good - no slurs or drunk b-line or anything. The only indication of his intoxication was his breath which reeked of alcohol.

"Give me your keys," I told him.

He looked at me and then shrugged. Pulling out his car keys, he gave them to me.

"Thanks," I told him again.

He got in the passenger side of his blue 1967 Chevy Camaro convertible while I just stood there and shook my head. I got in, started the car, and began driving to the boarding house.

"You're a _very_ strange girl, you _know_ that?" Damon said - his voice starting to slur.

I sighed and began to protest, "_Damon..._"

He held up his left pointer finger to silence me.

"But, _oddly enough_... I think-" he slurred before hiccuping.

I rolled my eyes and then tried to speak up again, "Damon, just- Can we _not_ go there right now?"

He smirked and replied, "Just hear me out."

I opened my mouth to protest once more, but he quickly spoke before I could.

"I think..." he paused and looked at me.

It was a look of longing. A child's longing. Like he had been walking around this earth aimlessly for_ years_... All hope abandoning him... And now, here he was, a small glimpse of hope once again beginning to shine through the small and numerous cracks of the many walls he had built up to protect himself.

But just as easily it was a look of disbelief - that this newfound hope would just disappear. That it was all just another lie in this "game" called _Life_.

"I think I_ love_ you," he told me.

_*** So there it is... Damon shows and tells Selene **just** how much he cares for her. Sorry, not much of Selene's story unraveling here. ***_

_*** **Food For Thought:** I really do love those little reviews you guys post! ; ) Just saying... ***_


	11. Chapter 11

_Sorry for the long wait guys. But here's the next chapter filled with good light-hearted humor. ; )_

Ch. 11

I looked up to see Selene starting to descend the stairs.

Midway down, she quickly paused as she saw me. She smiled and then continued down.

"How's he doing?" I asked her.

She walked towards me and then stopped as she got to the open arch.

Leaning against the framing, she replied, "He'll be worse in the morning."

We both smiled at the thought.

"Well, I don't know about you, but I'm hungry," she said aloud.

I softly laughed and then answered, "I'll take that as you want me to cook."

Her eyes lit up in what seemed like horror.

"Oh.. _No._ I - I just thought maybe... I don't know... Maybe you'd want something _too_," she replied.

"Um... Well...," I said back.

Suddenly, I had a change of heart as you could say.

"You know what... _I'll_ whip something up for you," I told her.

"_No._ You don't have to do that," she replied in a polite manner.

"Don't worry about," I answered back with a wave of my right hand as I turned around, "I'll make you some chicken parmigiana."

She quietly giggled in joy as she followed me into the kitchen.

"Oh my _God_! No way! _Really?_" I said through half-laughter.

"Yeah, I couldn't believe it myself," Stefan replied.

"And you just _let_ him strut onto the dance floor?" I asked in disbelief.

Stefan only smiled and laughed.

"_W-o-w!_ No _wonder_ why he despises you..." I managed to get out before chuckling once again.

"_Hey!_" Stefan objected, "_He_ was the one who walked straight _into_ it!"

We both laughed at the hilariously shared memory of his.

"And what are _you_ two doing?" a voice spoke up from the kitchen doorway.

I looked up to see Damon leaning against the framing.

He wore a black v-neck sweater and black slacks.

Smirking, he asked again, "_Well?_"

"Stefan was just telling me about the 70s," I replied back with a smirk of my own.

I glanced at Stefan with a huge smile and then back to Damon. Though Damon appeared to be somewhat confused.

Giving up, he looked at me with his usual smirk and seductively asked, "Oh, _really_?"

He nonchalantly strode to my side in two steps, and I suddenly found my heart pounding out of control.

"Yeah," I replied.

My voice was fine, but inside I was going insane.

"All done!" Stefan announced.

My head snapped in his direction, and I saw he was now serving the food onto a plate. From the corner of my eyes, I saw Damon look at it bemused.

"Chicken

parmigiana?" Damon asked.

I nodded in response - not trusting my voice now.

"You could've asked me to make it," he cooly said.

He leaned forward and murmured into my ear, "No offense, but _mine_ is better."

I looked at Stefan, but he seemed to only ignore Damon's remark.

"Oh, well... Stefan offered so..." I trailed off.

Damon nodded and then stalked off toward the cabinets left of the refrigerator. In return, a small sigh of relief escaped my lips. Both brothers looked at me - inquiring with their facial expression. I blushed and instantly stared at the tiled floor.

In a blink of an eye, I was staring at two leather, black shoes. I looked up to see Damon pouring a glass of red wine. When he finished, he handed it to me.

"Um... _Thanks_?" I asked bewildered.

Damon smirked and then poured himself a glass.

Once he was done, he set the wine bottle on the counter next to us and raised his glass.

After I mimicked him with my glass, he said, "To the best of times and the _worst_ of times..."

"So hold on tight and _don't_ look back," I quoted one of my favorite ballads.

We both smirked and took a drink from our glasses.

To my surprise, it was sweet and tangy like... _Almost_ like grape juice.

"What is it?" I curiously asked.

He brightly smiled a 100-watt smile.

"Clarion Loess Black Magic," he replied.

Seeing my blank stare of what-the-heck-is-that, Damon quickly added, "Basically, its _vampire_ wine. Minus the _blood_, I mean."

I nodded and set the glass down on the counter.

Damon did the same, and Stefan spoke up and said, "Well... Take a bite. Tell me what you think."

I walked over to the table and sat down. After I did, Stefan helped me push my chair more towards the table. I quickly looked at Damon to see him just shrug and pick his glass of wine back up. After he took a sip of his wine, I cut myself a small piece and ate it.

I closed my eyes and moaned.

Oh, _God_, it was good...

I heard both brothers chuckle and I opened my eyes.

Whoops.

"Sorry, it's just... I've _never_ tasted anything so _good_," I told them.

By now, I was probably red as a tomato from how embarrassed I was.

"Well, I wouldn't talk _too_ soon," Damon interjected.

I looked at him and realized that he wanted me to try _his_ version of chicken parmigiana.

"Uh... Well, not tonight..." I told him.

"Why _not_?" he replied.

He sauntered over to stand next to me on my left side.

"Come on. Me and Steffy will help you eat the leftovers," he added.

I sighed in defeat and then Damon stalked off to the fridge.

"_Well?_" I asked Selene after she took a bite.

She had done the same as before - closed her eyes and moan.

But that didn't tell me who's was better.

"Oh. My. _God..._" she finally said a minute later, "I'm sorry, Stefan, but... Wow... This is _definitely_ the best food I've _ever_ had."

I chuckled and sat down next to her at the table.

"_Oh_, it's alright... I already _knew_ he made the best chicken parmigiana," Stefan replied back.

I looked at him questioningly only to have him say, "But my penne arrabiata... Now _that's_ the bomb."

He sat opposite of me, staring at her with some goofy grin.

Selene smiled back at him and then said, "Maybe tomorrow."

He simply nodded as a reply, and, out of the corner of my eye, I saw Selene look at the clock. Her eyes went wide in surprise, and her smile momentarily fell.

"Wow," she muttered.

Stefan looked at her, puzzled by her reaction and what had caused it.

But I knew. Somehow I just _knew_.

It was very early in the morning... And _way_ past Selene's "bedtime".

She yawned and then slowly stood up.

"Alright, time for beddy-bye," Damon said as he stood up from his chair.

Before I could even open my mouth to ask where I would sleep, I was swept off my feet and now stood in another room.

"You like it? Really wanted to go contemporary... But still stay _classy_," he told me as he sauntered further into the room.

We were in a bedroom.

"I bought it today after you left for work," he rambled on.

Damon now stood next to the queen-sized bed. Though it rose to a height beds usually did, it actually looked as if he offered a more comfortable experience than most. Its mixed stripes of a cream white and a few different shades of brown, light and dark, helped accentuate a woodsy color scheme.

In fact, the whole room basically consisted of a neutral palette of colors. Though the wood of all the furniture had a black finish, brown dominated the room and gave it an authentic feel.

I blankly looked at Damon only to see that he was staring right back at me with the same expression.

_Whoops_, I thought.

I had forgot about the whole "controlling him" part. I was gonna have to be careful about that from now on.

Realizing he wasn't under my "hold" any longer, he smirked.

With an accusing finger, he tsked and then said, "You're a dominatrix in relationships, _aren't_ you? I can tell. You've got that one-of-a-kind feel."

I rolled my eyes and walked to the bed. Damon's smirk only widened, but he pulled back the sheets and let me get in. Once I did, he pulled them back over me.

He kissed my forehead, and then murmured, "Sleep tight. I'll be right back, alright?"

I drowsily nodded my head and mumbled an "Uh-hum" before passing out.

_Well, what a happier note this chapter has been since last time. So did anyone get the Black Magic reference? "So hold on tight and_ don't _look back"? Anyway, I know I haven't really posted on lj for awhile, but I do have one. spiritkitsune. It's where I will be/have been putting first looks and previews. Go and check it out. Though, I might add it's for all stories, not just Delena ones._


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